Monthly Group Reads for 2025

[Carole]

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson.

[Paul]

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks everyone. I will set up the poll tomorrow.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So the books we will be choosing from are:

Normal People by Sally Rooney
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

I am setting up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Merry Christmas!

Sorry to be slow - I seem to have been cooking continually for the last two weeks - January's Group Read will be Normal People by Sally Rooney. I will go ahead and set up the new thread...

[Paul]

For February could I nominate Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck 🙂

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Sure, it's definitely coming up to that time again. What do others want to nominate to read in February?

[Kate, Your Friendly Moderator]

Is our February genre going to be Sci-Fi? I think thats the only one left. In which case how about Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Yes, Sci-Fi is the final Genre we'll be covering this time round.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

For February's Group Read, I'll nominate Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

[Carole]

For February I’d like to nominate His & Hers. By Alice Feeney Can I also nominate Little Wing. By Freya North.

[Paul]

For February I'd like to suggest Libra by Don Delillo

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So the suggestions for February's group read are:

Libra by Don Delillo
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Little Wing by Freya North

I will go ahead and set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

That was a close one! The group read for February is Little Fires Everywhere. I will go ahead and set up the thread...

[Carole]

For our March read can I suggest In Memoriam by Alice Winn?
I’ll also suggest Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewel.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Sure, Carole. You read my mind, I was about to ask for suggestions for March. Please go ahead and post them here...

I'm going to suggest Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. I've really enjoyed her books (particularly Life After Life), and this one was her first, which impressively won the 'Whitbread Book of the Year' when it first came out.

[Lucy]

could I suggest The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

or

Private Rites by Julie Armfield

[Paul]

I'll offer Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks. I'll leave this open until the end of the week and then run the poll over the weekend. :)

[Gabriele]

I'd like to recommend this book

All the Colours of the Dark

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Unfortunately, we read that one last year, Gabriele.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So the suggestions for March are:

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Private Rites by Julia Armfield

I will set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The poll is now open. :)

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The poll has closed and the book for March will be: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. I will go ahead and set up the new thread...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Any thoughts for the book for April? I'm going to suggest Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter.

Tell me your suggestions by the end of Friday. Thanks.

[Lucy]

Could I suggest,
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Lucy wrote: "Could I suggest,
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne"

You certainly can. Thanks, Lucy.

[Charlotte]

Great idea Lucy. I have been meaning to read that John Boyne novel.

[Paul]

As it is spring time I'd like to suggest two thin books of poetry either on their own or together or even alongside another choice. First, The Waste Land and Other Poems by T. S. Eliot. Second, The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Paul wrote: "As it is spring time I'd like to suggest two thin books of poetry either on their own or together or even alongside another choice. First, The Waste Land and Other Poems by T. S. Eliot. Second, The..."

Thanks, Paul.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So the options for April are:

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Wasteland, Prufrock and Other Poems by TS Eliot

I will go ahead and set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Our Book for April will be...
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I will set up the new thread..

[Carole]

Can I make a suggestion for the May group read?
A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby.

Since it appears the above is almost impossible to get hold of I shall make a further selection….

True Colours by Kristen Hannah.

[Charlotte]

Carole wrote: "Can I make a suggestion for the May group read?
A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby."

What a wonderful suggestion Carole. Looks like an interesting read. However I’m not sure where I could pick up an affordable copy.
I’ll keep a look out!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Thanks, Carole. Yes please post your suggestions for May and I'll set up a pole at the end of the week.

I'm thinking of Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke.

[Carole]

Charlotte wrote: "Carole wrote: "Can I make a suggestion for the May group read?
A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby."

What a wonderful suggestion Carole. Looks like an interesting read. However I’m not sure whe..."

Yes, I agree Charlotte. Not an easy one to get hold of! So I shall make an alternative suggestion.

[Lucy]

Carole, I would love to read that book.
the library doesn't have it though and it's so expensive online. What a shame. thanks for recommending it though, I hadn't come across that one before. I'll keep an eye out for a copy.

[Carole]

Lucy wrote: "Carole, I would love to read that book.
the library doesn't have it though and it's so expensive online. What a shame. thanks for recommending it though, I hadn't come across that one before. I'll ..."

Yes same here Lucy!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Any more suggestions for May's group read?

[Charlotte]

Can I please suggest these:

Damascus Station

Half of a Yellow Sun

The Price of Salt

Rather selfishly as they are on my TBR pile but I’ve heard good things about them all. Thanks! ☺️

[Lucy]

Could I suggest:

Birdman by Mo Hayder


good choices Charlotte. I've read The Price of Salt many years ago but keep meaning to again now I'm older!

Half of a Yellow Sun has been on my shelf for years too!

[Carole]

I’ll add The Suspect by Rob Rinder.

[Paul]

I suggest

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Great Suggestions. Thanks everyone. I will set up the poll tomorrow.

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

So our options are:
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The Suspect by Rob Rinder
Birdman by Mo Hader
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
Damascus Station by Davis McCloskey
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Piranesi by Susannah Clarke

I will go ahead and set up the poll...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Charlotte wrote: "Can I please suggest these:

Damascus Station

Half of a Yellow Sun

The Price of Salt

Rather selfishly as they are on my TBR pile but I’ve heard good thi..."

Ha ha, it's not selfish, it's sensible. My suggestions are always from my to read list. ;)

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

The poll is now open!

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

We are currently tied with 10 votes each for The English Patient and for Piranesi. If you haven't voted yet or want to change your vote, now would be the time...

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

We're still tied! To decide, please use the poll to choose either The English Patient or Piranesi. Thanks :)

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

It's time to suggest books for next month. I'm thinking: 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation'.